Hello there, seeker of beautiful things! Explore our list of 19 Easy DIY Tiered Planter Ideas to create beautiful things in our daily lives! It looks like a three-layered cake, but it’s not. They are the best ideas to beautify your yard while saving a lot on a limited space by creating a stacked garden.
From simple wooden crates and pallets to upcycled old furniture, there are plenty of materials you can use to create your own tiered planter.
With a little bit of creativity, you can customize your design to fit your style and preferences. Some of the most popular tiered planter ideas include vertical pallet gardens, stacked terra cotta pots, and repurposed ladder planters.
You can also experiment with different types of plants, like succulents, herbs, or even strawberries, to create a unique and bountiful garden.
#1 Sleek Tiered Strawberry Planter
This beautiful tiered strawberry planter is built from new lumber, featuring three staggered levels perfect for maximizing your berry yield in a compact space. The clean, unpainted wood offers a contemporary, crisp look that complements the lush green strawberry leaves and small pink blossoms.
These layered garden boxes make harvesting easy and keep the fruit safely off the ground. You’ll need to cut three progressively smaller square or rectangular boxes from treated or rot-resistant lumber.
Securely stack the boxes, ensuring the upper boxes rest within the bounds of the lower ones, creating a stepped effect. Fill each layer with well-draining soil and tuck your strawberry plants around the edges for a bountiful harvest.
#2 Wooden Pallet Stepped Raised Garden Herb Planter
This beautifully stained wooden pallet stepped raised garden herb planter offers an efficient, vertical way to grow a variety of herbs right outside your door.
The deep, warm finish of the wood highlights the different textures and shades of the plants, such as lavender and mint. Its slanted, A-frame design is perfect for leaning against a wall, making excellent use of vertical space on a patio or balcony.
To replicate this design, you’ll need to disassemble pallets and reconfigure the slats into three horizontal planter boxes supported by a strong back frame.
Use wood glue and screws to assemble the planter firmly, and ensure you treat it with a weather-resistant stain. This functional piece keeps your fresh ingredients conveniently accessible for all your cooking needs.
#3 Tiered Wooden Planter
This rustic tiered wooden planter provides a fantastic way to display a vibrant array of annuals, perfect for brightening up a deck or patio.
The three planter boxes are staggered on a simple A-frame, giving each plant ample sunlight and space to thrive. Its natural wood finish offers a charming, unpretentious aesthetic that highlights the colorful blooms.
To make this planter, construct three sturdy rectangular boxes from reclaimed pallet wood or fence boards. Build a simple A-frame support structure from 2x4s and attach the boxes securely at different heights using screws.
Fill the boxes with good-quality potting mix and plant your favorite cascading flowers for a beautiful multi-level display.
#4 Tiered Plastic Pot Planter
This colorful tiered plastic pot planter uses three graduated plastic containers to create a beautiful, stacked floral tower with minimal effort.
The white color of the pots provides a crisp backdrop that really makes the bright pink and yellow flowers pop. Stacking planters like this is a super simple, effective way to display a gorgeous variety of flowers in a small space.
To assemble, you need to use a strong central support pole or stick that runs through the drainage holes of all three pots, ensuring they are stable.
Securely stack the pots, tilting the top two slightly to maximize the planting surface around the edges. Fill each layer with a mix of colorful, mounding, and trailing annuals for a spectacular vertical display.
#5 Recycled Wine Barrel Planter
This innovative recycled wine barrel planter creates a charming, multi-level herb garden with its clever stepped design.
The planter uses the base of a wine barrel to support two smaller, custom-built wooden tiers, maximizing space for growing different herbs. The rustic oak wood contrasts beautifully with the various shades of green herbs, offering a lovely, natural aesthetic.
To construct this, you first need to cut a large wine barrel in half lengthwise and use one half as the bottom tier. Build two smaller, hexagonal or square boxes from wood and stack them onto the barrel section, securing them firmly.
Fill all three levels with herb-specific soil and plant an assortment of your favorite kitchen herbs, making them easy to identify with small stakes.
#6 Tiered Terracotta-Pot Flower Planter
This festive, fun tiered terracotta-pot flower planter uses bold colors to create a striking patriotic display in your garden.
The pots are cleverly stacked and tilted on a central rod, allowing the colorful petunias to tumble gracefully from each level. This vertical arrangement is an excellent way to grow a huge amount of flowers while taking up minimal patio space.
To start this project, you will want to paint four terracotta pots with exterior-grade red, white, and blue paint, adding stars and stripes. Use a piece of rebar or thick pipe pushed deep into the ground to serve as a secure central support.
This bright stack is perfect for celebrating summer holidays or adding year-round cheer to your front porch.
#7 Tiered Metal Bucket Planter
This creative tiered metal bucket planter uses three galvanized metal containers of increasing size, cleverly stacked to maximize planting space.
The contrasting textures of the smooth lower tub and the corrugated upper bucket create an interesting, rustic farmhouse feel. A metal funnel is ingeniously placed between the top and middle tiers, guiding excess water downwards and acting as a charming decorative accent.
You will want to use sturdy hardware to secure the buckets one on top of the other, making sure the lower buckets can support the weight of the soil and water above.
Plant trailing flowers and tall grasses in the different levels for a lovely, cascading arrangement. This durable design is perfect for adding vertical interest to a porch or patio.
#8 Tiered Metal Bucket Planter Adding Water Fountain Idea
This inventive tiered metal bucket planter uses stacked buckets and a watering can to create a charming, continuous water fountain feature.
The clever illusion of water perpetually spilling from the watering can into the buckets below adds a wonderful sense of motion and sound to your garden. The galvanized metal and climbing vines give the whole structure a rustic, found-object aesthetic.
You will need a strong central rod, like rebar, to thread the buckets and watering can onto, securing them at an angle. Run a small submersible pump up the central rod and into the watering can spout to create the gentle flow of water.
#9 Tiered Planter Made From Old Hardware Store Nailbin
This ingeniously repurposed tiered planter is made from an old hardware store nail bin, instantly adding an industrial and rustic chic look to your outdoor area.
The three metal tiers rotate on a central spindle, creating a unique, circular display that maximizes sun exposure for all the plants. The aged, dark metal of the nail bin provides a beautiful, textured contrast to the sweet pink and white flowers planted in each section.
To use an old nail bin like this, you will need to drill drainage holes in the bottom of each tray. Fill the tiered trays with well-draining soil and plant your favorite mounding annuals for a stunning vertical floral tower.
This is a wonderfully creative way to upcycle salvaged materials into an eye-catching garden focal point.
#10 Tiered Galvanized Bucket Planter
This functional, tiered galvanized bucket planter provides an efficient, stylish way to grow a variety of greens and herbs in a confined space. The simple metal buckets, stacked inside a larger wash tub, offer a classic farmhouse or industrial aesthetic.
This vertical stacking is perfect for a small deck or balcony, keeping your favorite ingredients close at hand. You will want to drill drainage holes in the bottom of each smaller bucket and the large tub.
Nest the buckets securely within each other, filling each tier with soil and your desired herbs or salad greens. The final arrangement looks beautiful with tall rosemary and compact lettuce spilling over the edges.
#11 Tiered Fabric Planter
This excellent tiered fabric planter is a simple, effective solution for growing a large number of plants, like strawberries, in a small space.
The black, durable fabric containers are stacked in three descending sizes, creating a neat, dark-colored mound that contrasts beautifully with the green foliage. Fabric pots are wonderful because they provide excellent drainage and aeration for healthy root growth.
To assemble this, choose three circular fabric pots of varied diameters and place the largest one on the ground first. Carefully stack the medium pot on top and then the smallest one at the very top, ensuring they are centered. Fill each tier with rich soil and plant your chosen crops around the edges for a lovely, accessible harvest.
#12 3-Tier Strawberry Planter
This tidy 3-tier strawberry planter uses a stack of terracotta-colored plastic pots to create an efficient and beautiful vertical garden structure.
The stepped design allows plenty of space for the strawberry plants to grow and ripen without touching the ground, making harvesting easier. This arrangement is perfect for a corner of your patio or a small space in your flower bed, surrounded by lavender and ground cover.
You will need three pots of decreasing size and a central stake or pipe for stability. Secure the pots together and fill each ring with soil, positioning the strawberry plants so they spill over the edges.
The result is a neat, productive, and attractive tiered planter perfect for growing fresh berries.
#13 Upcycled Tire Flower Planter
This creative upcycled tire flower planter reuses old vehicle tires, painted black and stacked with dividers, to form a striking tiered display. The dark, textured rubber provides a fantastic contrast to the bright white, purple, and orange flowers cascading from each level.
This sturdy, durable design is perfect for adding height and dimension to a porch or garden corner. You will need to clean the tires thoroughly and paint them with an exterior-grade paint made for rubber.
Use thick pieces of wood or small cable spools as spacers between the tires to create distinct planting levels. Fill each tire with good soil, planting mounding and trailing annuals around the outer edge for a dramatic look.
#14 Tiered Cake Stand Succulent Planter
This beautiful tiered cake stand succulent planter cleverly uses a three-level serving stand to display a stunning arrangement of trailing succulents. The white, textured tiers provide a neutral, elegant backdrop that highlights the varied colors and forms of the plants.
This structure is perfect for a tabletop centerpiece on a patio or a sunny indoor spot, adding instant height and charm. You can use any tiered serving stand you have, ensuring the trays are deep enough to hold a small layer of soil.
Drill small drainage holes if the trays are permanent, or place smaller, shallow pots of succulents on each level. Arrange a mix of mounding and trailing succulents, allowing some of the plants to spill gracefully over the edges.
#15 Tiered Bird Feeder Planter
This creative tiered bird feeder planter repurposes a three-tiered concrete bird bath into a charming fairy garden or miniature landscape. Each level of the fountain is transformed into a tiny world, complete with a tiny bridge, tiny houses, and various whimsical decorations.
The addition of moss, pebbles, and miniature plants enhances the magical, woodsy feel of this arrangement. This is a lovely way to display a detailed fairy garden right on your deck or patio railing.
You will need to plug the fountain drainage holes and fill each bowl with soil and decorative moss. Carefully arrange small figurines, like the little teapot house on the top tier, to complete your enchanting miniature scene.
#16 Tiered Fairy Garden Planter
This enchanting tiered fairy garden planter uses stacked terracotta pots to create a multi-level, miniature landscape full of delightful details. The cascading arrangement features moss, tiny pebbles, small plants, and whimsical accessories like a tiny wooden ladder and a slice of wood staircase.
This design creates an adorable, imaginative focal point on any deck or patio railing. To make your own, you will want to use three different-sized terracotta pots with a central drainage hole.
Thread a piece of rebar through the holes, securing the pots in a slightly tilted stack, and fill the exposed rings with soil and tiny groundcover plants. Arrange miniature furniture and figures among the greenery to complete the magical scene.
#17 DIY Tiered Wood Planter
This beautiful DIY tiered wood planter uses three planter boxes made from rough-hewn logs, giving it a strong, appealing rustic character. The natural wood rounds frame a vibrant mix of colorful, mounding flowers, creating a lovely focal point on a patio or against a brick wall.
The staggered, vertical design makes efficient use of limited space while showcasing a variety of plants. To build this, construct three planter boxes using halved logs or wood rounds, securing them with screws.
Build a sturdy A-frame structure from simple lumber to support the weight of the boxes and soil. Fill the boxes with a mix of vibrant annuals and perennial flowers for a stunning, multi-level floral wall.
#18 Tiered Pot Planter With A Sweet Home Sign
This cheerful tiered pot planter features three brightly painted pots stacked vertically, serving as a bright, welcoming sweet home sign for your entryway.
The beautiful turquoise blue paint provides a fun, vibrant contrast to the surrounding terracotta and succulents, instantly capturing attention.
The staggered stacking maximizes the planting space, allowing you to grow a colorful mix of succulents, geraniums, and cacti in a small footprint.
To create this look, paint three pots the same color and use stencils to paint black block letters on the front of the pots. Use a central support rod through the drainage holes for stability, then fill with your favorite brightly colored plants.
#19 Tiered Wood Crate Planter
This creative tiered wood crate planter is an excellent example of how simple, rustic materials can be used to build a large-scale, functional herb garden.
The garden uses clean, wooden crates stacked in a staggered, pyramid-like arrangement to create a beautiful, multi-level display. This structure is perfect for an organized herb garden or a collection of different vegetables and flowers, keeping each plant separate yet cohesive.
You will need six or more identical sturdy wood crates; stack them three wide on the bottom, two in the middle, and one on top, making sure each one is level.
Line the inside of the crates with landscape fabric before adding soil to prevent the dirt from washing out. This expansive, rustic design looks fantastic in a natural garden setting.